2000s

General

O - Pe

Although this 31-page "DNI Handbook" carries a 2007 date, it was completed and cleared for release in December 2006. These are one-to-four-page official statements about the 17 components of the U.S. Intelligence Community.

Hanley, Proceedings 135.6 (Jun. 2009), finds that this work's "governing idea ... is that our obsessive faith in gadgets and, collaterally, our view of intelligence as principally a technical activity justify a reckless under-appreciation of human intelligence." The book has some flaws, "among them a willingness to assume that current strategic priorities will remain so.... Nevertheless, O'Hern is on target in regard to the specific reforms that will make our intelligence agencies perform their invaluable services with greater skill."

The author's contention that HUMINT is underutilized and underresourced resonates with Bebber, NIPQ 26.2 (Jun. 2010). However, "there are several factors ... that make HUMINT less reliable than [O'Hern] would have us believe." Beyond that, he "has done a great service by providing the perspective of an intelligence officer recently returned from the field." Peake, Studies 54.4 (Dec. 2010), and Intelligencer 18.2 (Winter-Spring 2011), notes that O'Hern makes "a very strong case for an improved HUMINT counterinsurgency program."

Price, A&SPJ 26.3 (Fall 2011), notes the author's background in the Air Force's Office of Special Investigations and his 6 months in 2005 leading the Strategic Counterintelligence Directorate (SCID) of Multi-National Force-Iraq. "When the book discusses HUMINT tradecraft and demonstrates such techniques via personal experiences or anecdotes, it is an engaging, often educational, read." Unfortunately, O'Hern "wastes too many pages either regurgitating 'generational warfare' myths or railing against issues often better addressed in professional journals."

"Religion and religious factors have not been a priority concern for the intelligence community.... [T]]he penalty for this historic neglect is that the intelligence community (IC) has been unprepared for collection, analysis, research and reporting on religion as related to global and national security.... The intelligence community is now 'getting serious' about the complex relationship between religion and security."

The title of this article points to the author's main theme: "My contention is that not only should th[e] temptation to use 'private military companies' (PMCs) to 'outsource war' be resisted, but also that the facade" of PMCs "needs to be exposed for what they really are -- mercenaries by any name."

Peake, Studies 54.4 (Dec. 2010), and Intelligencer 18.2 (Winter-Spring 2011), notes that the eight chapters here are excerpts from congressional research reports. Although the book "may be of value as a 'one-stop' introduction for readers new" to its subjects, the "commentary on developments is thin, more descriptive than analytical, and many topics ... are omitted. For real depth, further reading is essential."

According to Peake, Studies 51.4 (2007), this work "is intended as a college-level guide for those working in law enforcement, forensics, military surveillance, covert operations, counterintelligence, and journalism and politics. It is well-illustrated, and, though there are no endnotes, each chapter has many references. A very valuable reference."

Petro, James B. "Intelligence Support to the Life Science Community: Mitigating Threats from Bioterrorism." Studies in Intelligence 48, no. 3 (2004): 57-68.

The author offers an overview of the debate "about the potential openly published research findings have to enable BW or bioterrorism..., and it summarizes the most recent discussions among bioscience researchers. In addition, it offers some options the Intelligence Community (IC) can consider to help the life science community continue its work effectively, while safeguarding national security." (footnote omitted)